Postoperative exercise capacity following nutritional support with hypotonic glucose.

Patients subjected to exercise testing following extensive uncomplicated abdominal operations and maintained postoperatively with hypotonic glucose infusions were capable of performing at a mean of 77 +/- 5 per cent of their preoperative maximum work levels. No change was noted in the over-all efficiency or oxygen uptake, of the muscle groups involved. The exercising blood lactate curve can be used to verify the work capacity of large muscle masses and to predict changes in maximum work capacity from submaximal postoperative testing. The maintenance and improvement of the functional integrity of large muscle masses should be one of the primary goals of postoperative surgical nutrition.